Comfortable Hotel Close to Downtown Scottsdale

Palm trees and saguaro cacti line a winding path next to the Fairfield Inn Marriott Scottsdale North. The plants are in keeping with the landscape of Scottsdale, an oasis amid the desert's dry heat. The hotel is located 8 miles up Scottsdale Road from the city's Old Town and downtown, and near Harkins Theater.

Renovated in 2010 and a 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner, the hotel has an open layout—balconies just outside the rooms look out over a large pool in the courtyard. King and double rooms are comfortable and colorful, with pops of lime green and tangerine. Every morning, you can head to the breakfast area to enjoy a complimentary hot buffet of fruit, yogurt, hot and cold cereal, waffles, scrambled eggs, breakfast meat, coffee, and tea.

Scottsdale, Arizona: Stucco Mansions amid Rocky Desert Landscape

Located just northeast of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale once served as ranch land where farmers grew oranges and lemons and cowboys kicked up dust in the fierce, dry heat. That era earned Scottsdale the nickname of “The West's Most Western Town.” Today, it’s an affluent city landscaped with lush green grass and filled with stucco mansions. For a glimpse of the city's Old West roots, head to Old Town Scottsdale, where wooden boardwalks and hitching posts sit in front of a retro ice-cream parlor and rustic specialty shops.

Upon arriving in Scottsdale, you know you're in the desert—cacti and tumbleweeds dot the landscape, and dry shrubs and gnarled trees cover the McDowell Mountains in the distance. To get a closer look at southwestern flora, head to the Desert Botanical Garden. There, themed trails wind past huge cacti and other moisture-hoarding succulents, best seen in the cooler early morning or twilight hours.

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